This Christmas
by AMX
Summary: A oneshot that takes place between the first and second EEnENBC stories. It's Christmas day, and Eddy's feeling down. Can an unexpected present from a certain someone cheer him up? R


**Author's Note**: This is a oneshot that's been in my mind for a while. I thought I'd post it for Christmas. Take note: this story takes place the day after the last chapter in _Ed Edd n Eddy's Nightmare Before Christmas. _Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and happy reading! ;)-**AMX**

**P.S.** This has nothing to do with the story, but I found an interesting little tidbit in _Ed Edd n Eddy's Jingle Jingle Jangle_! You know how they make allusions to all those Christmas things throughout the special? Well, near the beginning, when Eddy is complaining to Ed and Double D about his presents, Eddy exclaims, "It's like a _nightmare before Christmas_, Double D!" oO I literally gasped when I heard that. Just thought you'd like to know!

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Eddy woke up to find himself in his own bed; the sun was already out. He looked around his room. His eyes stopped at the window, looking at the snow-covered world outside. 

For some reason, Eddy didn't feel anything special. But he should have.

'_Why don't I feel happy?_' he thought. '_It's Christmas day! You're supposed to be happy on Christmas, right?_'

That's when he remembered a critical fact: his parents worked during the day. They weren't even home for Christmas.

'_Ah, yes,_' he thought. '_It isn't Christmas if there's nobody and nothing to share it with._'

Eddy knew Ed would be spending the day with Sarah and his parents. Heck, even _Double D's_ parents spent Christmas with him! So what did he get?

A big, empty house with no Christmas cheer and presents filled with clothes.

Things were different when his brother was there. At least then, he wasn't alone…

His brother! Eddy's head jerked to his desk. There, on top of it, was an old, crumpled-looking map; next to it, there lay a letter addressed to Eddy's brother.

That's when all the events of the nights before came back to Eddy. Finding the map with Ed and Double D and discovering that new place, Halloween Town; traveling to Christmas Town and meeting…a certain skeleton; losing Ed, then finding him again; helping said skeleton prepare a Halloween-themed Christmas, delivering the presents with the skeleton; getting shot out of the sky; saving Ed and Double D; getting a jawbreaker for a present, then graciously giving it up to his new friend…everything.

But there was one piece of information that had shocked Eddy the most: as it turns out, the skeleton that he had met was an old friend of his brother.

Now that he was back home, Eddy began to miss the skeleton. It was too bad that they probably wouldn't see each other again until next Halloween.

Eddy sighed. He slowly went to his closet and changed into his clothes. Then he trudged into the kitchen, poured himself a glass of eggnog, and walked into the living room where the Christmas tree was. He gathered up all his presents in one arm and carried everything into his bedroom. He placed his presents down on the bed, and then sat down on it himself. He didn't even want to open them, because he knew what they all would be: tacky and uncomfortable pieces of clothing.

"Merry Christmas," Eddy grumbled out loud to nobody in particular. He then took a large sip from his glass…only to promptly spit the drink back out. He made a disgusted face, remembering that he _hated _eggnog.

_Knock, knock, knock_.

The unexpected knocking on his door made Eddy jump. He got off his bed and immediately went to answer it. Maybe it was Double D or Ed, coming to cheer him up.

But when Eddy opened the door, all he saw was a medium-sized bag at his feet. Next to the bag was a note. Eddy looked around, but he didn't see anybody. He shrugged, and then brought the bag and the note inside.

Eddy sat back down on the bed and opened the note; there was no identification of whom it was from on the envelope. When he began to read the note, his eyes widened.

_Eddy,_

_I hope you don't mind, but I just wanted to give you a little something for all your troubles. You wouldn't believe the goods people drop when they're being scared out of their wits (don't worry; the Doctor helped me keep it all fresh, and that _does not _mean he poisoned them). Also…I wanted to thank you for all that you did for me. You believed in me when I didn't believe in myself, and you stayed by my side and helped me prevent a horrible catastrophe. Also, to finally have a piece of…him…again; you have no idea how happy that makes me. But what impressed me the most was when you gave me_your _Christmas present without any hesitation. _That's_what it means to be a good friend. Keep that attitude up, and you'll make those other kids your friends in no time. Don't give up. I believe in you._

_Merry Christmas!_

The note wasn't signed, but Eddy knew whom it was from. He found himself smiling by the time he finished the letter. It was then he peered in the bag. His eyes widened in amazement. It was filled to the brim with candy!

"Hmm…" he pondered out loud. "I'll probably be paying for this at the dentist's office, later…" He thought for a moment. "AW, WHO CARES?!" he finally said. He was about to dig in, when…

Out of the corner of his eye, Eddy saw an all-too-familiar shadow disappear from his window.

Eddy whipped his head around, but the shadow had already gone. Still holding a handful of candy, Eddy raced over to where his winter coat hung, and sprinted out the door. He was just able to get a glimpse of someone running behind the fence into his house.

Eddy ran after the figure, but the stranger's head start caused him to only see slight glimpses of whoever it was. As Eddy chased the stranger down the fenced alleyways, the stranger rounded a corner at the end. Eddy had a pretty good idea as to where they were headed.

Eddy was right. Before he knew it, he found himself chasing the stranger toward the woods. The same woods that beheld a certain tree with a jack o' lantern shaped door. Just as Eddy got to the top of the hill overlooking the woods, the figure was already disappearing into the trees. However, Eddy got all the view that he needed.

The figure was a tall, pale-looking man wearing a black-and-white pinstripe suit.

Eddy just stood there, at the top of the hill, looking down at the woods for a couple seconds. Then, he remembered the candy in his hand; he looked down at it. Then, he looked at the woods again. A slight smile formed on the boy's face, and he chuckled, lazily shaking his head. Maybe this Christmas wasn't so bad, after all.

As Eddy turned around to go back home, he unwrapped a piece of candy and popped it into his mouth; it _was _still fresh. As he walked through the white snow, Eddy had one last thing to say.

"Merry Christmas, Jack Skellington."


End file.
